Vanity case



C. 'PICINICH Jan. 14, 1941.

VANITY CASE Filed Aug. 22, 1938 h-r-I Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITE STATES PATENT QFFICE VANITY CASE Application August 22, 1938, Serial No. 226,052

1 Claim.

This invention relates to vanity cases and similar receptacles and has for its object to provide a simple yet attractive device of this class. Another object is to provide a thin vanity case capable of taking up only a small amount of room in a womans handbag and at the same time permitting the vanity case to carry a lipstick container which is substantially thicker than the vanity case.

Fig. l is a top plan view of one embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a side View of the device of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 1 with the cover open wide, parts of the vanity case body being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan View of the deck memher or metallic insert for the body of the vanity case. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows the lipstick container with the cover partially removed. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 'l-'! of Fig. 6.

The vanity case comprises an upper casing or cover I0 and a lower casing or body portion I I, hinged together at I2 so that when the spring latch I3 is released the cover is raised exposing the contents of the box for use. As is customary in this art the inner surface of the cover is provided with a high polish to function as a mirror. It is also customary in this art to provide a deck member I4 snugly fitting within the side walls of the lower casing member I I and being retained therein by yieldable lugs or other means customarily used. The deck member has a recess for loose or cake powder closed by a lid I5 pivoted at I6 to the deck member and held closed by a spring latch I'I.

Another recess I8 may be provided in the deck member for receiving a cake of rouge or other desired cosmetic material. Between the hinge I2 and the recess I8 is a recess I9 for holding a tubular receptacle 20 for lipstick or other desired materials. The usual spring lug 2I assists in raising the cover I 0 when it has been released by the latch I3.

The leaf spring 23 shown in Fig. 4 cooperates with the side wall of the deck member or body portion I I and with an end portion of the recess IS, a small knob or projection 24 stamped out from the spring material extends through the end wall of recess 19 for engaging an end of the 5 lipstick container 20 thereby frictionally clamping or retaining the lipstick container within the body of the vanity case II.

The leaf spring 26 carries the latch portion I3 extending up through the deck member I4 for 55 retaining the cover closed. The inclined portions of the spring 25 are engaged by the cam portions 21 and 28 of the actuators 30 and 3I which project out the sides of the casing member II as indicated. Adjacent their cam surfaces 2'! and 28 the actuators 30 and 3| have portions shown in 5 Fig. 4 as being in contact with the end wall 29 of the deck member or casing member. A spring, not shown, cooperates with the actuator for pressing the same outwardly. Such a spring need be in cooperation with only one of these actuators. On pressing inwardly both of the actuators 30 and 3| the cams 21 and 28 move the latch I3 to the right from the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to release the cover. Pressing only one of-the actuators causes its cam surface to cause the latch to twist slightly with the result that the cover is not opened unless both actuators are simultaneously pressed inwardly.

The sides of the recess I9 have inclined walls as shown in Fig. 4, the central portion of the wall 20 adjacent the hinge is made substantially vertical in order to provide an appropriate abutment against which the spring 2I may engage in throwing the cover open after its latch has been released. 25

The casing 33 of the lipstick container is provided with an elongated slot 34 through which extends a pin operatively connecting a carrier 35 shown in dotted lines, and. an actuator button 39. A cap or cover 3'! closes the top of the lip- 30 stick container or casing and is made long enough to lie substantially contiguous the base 38 for closing the slot 34 and retaining the button 36 in position between the cap and base. Either the cap or base is provided with a recess 35 39 for receiving the actuator button 36. In order that the lipstick container 20 may be placed in its recess E9 in any angular position without the button 36 contacting with the inclined walls 32, or presenting a conspicuous appearance, this but- 40 ton 35 is preferably rounded so that its outer surface is substantially flush with the outer surface of both the cap and the base.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the provision of a vanity case 45 capable of carrying a lipstick container which is thicker than the vanity case. Another feature is the location of the lipstick container and one of the casing member walls so that the lipstick container appears as an integral part of the vanity case cover when closed rather than as a separate and removable part. The lipstick container may be inserted in its recess with the actuating button in any angular position.

This actuating button is not conspicuous because it is substantially flush with the surfaces of the cap and base and rounded to their curvature, the button fitting snugly into the recess provided for it. When the lipstick container is clamped by the slight spring pressure described above, it will be understood that the axis of this cylindrical container 2!! lies below the outer surface of the cover so that when the cut out portion 40 snugly fits the lipstick container, this cut out is not wide enough to allow the full width of the cylindrical receptacle to pass therethrough. The cover l0 thus further assists in holding the receptacle 20 in position, that is it acts in addition to the spring 23.

I claim:

A vanity case comprising a pair of casing members, a deck member within one of them, a mirror within the other, a powder compartment within the deck member, a recess in the deck member adjacent one end, a hinge for said casing members adjacent and substantially parallel to said recess, a lipstick container, means for frictionally retaining said lipstick container within said recess, the side of the casing member containing the mirror being cut out to allow said lipstick container to extend therethrough, for substantially its full length when said casing members are closed, a latch for holding the casing members closed, an actuator on each side of the casing members, and means connecting said latch with said actuators in such manner that pressure on either actuator alone is not suiiicient to open the latch but only simultaneous pressure on both actuators releases the latch.

CHARLES PICINICH. 

